Tara on the Tiber

Pretty good weather today, light breeze a little lower temperature but of course the blasted humidity.  After a 3 hour class on sexual and relational ethics and we had a delicious lunch of Pasta Arrabbiato, by-the-way one of my favorite pasta's!  It is a classic Roman dish and usually served with Penne but we had Fusilli for some reason.  In town you see it translated into English as, "Angry Pencils" which is quite comical.  The "Arrabbiato" means it is hot but the literal translation is angry.

After Pranzo was my daily walk.  We have a Byzantine Eparch (a Eastern Rite Bishop) staying with us who is attending the Synod on the New Evangelization and he was at my table for Cena (supper).  I have become somewhat famous for my walks now so one of the guys always asks me at dinner what adventure I went on that day.  Tonight I said I took a walk to Santa Maria Maggiore, to which the Bishop looked astonished and replied, "Goodness, that isn't a walk it is better characterized as a HIKE!"  So I took a hike!  I did stop by the Casa Santa Maria to say hello to Fr. Cesar Rubiano who is living there while working on his doctorate in Moral Theology.

You no doubt remember my post mentioning Gelato for Doggies, some may have thought it hyperbole so here is the photographic proof.  This little shop is not far from the Hill on the Corso.   You gotta love the stuffed dog on top of the freezer sitting on top of his carrier, such a visual society here!

Doggie Gelato Freezer, eat in or take out!

 Then I pass a little Largo (small square) and I nearly bump into this Southern Bell out for a stroll and hitting on some young studs outside a Coffee Bar.  I think she was handing out advertisements for an Opera but these two did not look like Opera buffs.

Tara on the Tiber, Lordie I don't no noth'in about birth'in no babies!

 Here is a street crowded with scooters, the main way to get around these parts.  Rome has the second most scooter in the world after Delhi.

Vespa crowding

 Hey, it's Friday and you know what that means, weddings!  Here come the Bride and Groom up the Quirinale Hill in a Rolls Royce.

Rolls Royce chugging up the Quirinale

 The city is covered in fountains, here is a nice one in a Largo.  The photo that follows is one of a young art student sketching the very same fountain.  When I was here 25 years ago you could go to the Piazza Navona and see lots of young artists executing works you could buy, today the Piazza Navona is all fake art mass produced on presses for tourists.  This fellow was a real artist doing a very nice sketch.  If I had time I would have stopped to chat with him, most people here are pretty friendly and will welcome some small talk.

four naked guys holding up fountain

one clothed guy sketching the four naked guys holding up the fountain

 For a real treat tonight after Cena this was the spectacular scene outside our dining room, we have no idea why but it was neat to watch.

Tomorrow I am off with Fr. Cesar to see Spoleto, a perfectly intact medieval village about an hour and a half from Rome in the beautiful Umbrian Mountains.  It should make for some wonderful photos!